Leaving on a Jet Plane
by msjgatsby
Summary: Out take from finale right before Mike goes to DC.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes/Rants:** So I had some REAL issues with the finale's pacing. Especially the Mike/Paige scene. It was wonderfully written, but whoever directed those actors and chose the camera shots to keep should be reprimanded harshly. I love the actor's but it felt like I was watching a table read. I saw what SHOULD have taken place chemistry wise, but it didn't pack the punch it needed so it came off awkward, rushed and unfulfilling. The fact that you could see the potential was twice as heartbreaking. The whole finale was kind of like that, (Who cares about Charlie's reaction to Jakes implying Mike and Paige are sleeping together camera guy?) but I digress...

Despite that, I'm going to write an outtake for the finale. Kind of like Smoke & Fire, two chapters, implied sex, but nothing seen, only I think two swear words. Much like the finale, I'm not in love with it, it's rushed, and kind of all over the place, but you give me shoddy worksmanship, I give it back.

* * *

The embers of the campfire are fading, but no one seems ready to go to bed. Even Jakes is still up, being surprisingly social, and even being nice to Johnny. It's only when the last log burns out and the cool night air starts to invade, that the group tiredly stands up and wanders back up to the house. Briggs carries a sleeping Charlie and Johnny is drowsily leans against Paige for support. Mike trails behind, watching the family he knows he has to leave tomorrow.

While everyone mutters sleepy goodnights and lethargically shuffle up the stairs to bed, Mike walks into the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water. He sips it quietly in the dark, contemplating. In each section of the room he sees a different memory like ghosts haunting him. Johnny making pancakes by the oven, Charlie chopping tomatoes for sauce on the counter, Briggs drinking rum in the corner, Jakes yelling at everyone to stay away from his shelf in the fridge, and Paige... He sees Paige everywhere. Kicking him under the table, hopping up on the counter, reaching for their secret spoon hiding spot, and that night she told him that she meant it when she said he was real. He sighs, puts his empty glass down, and walks out of the kitchen. He's made his decision.

He heads up the steps and instead of heading into his own room, he sneaks into Paige's, shutting the door silently behind him.

She's sitting at her desk, brushing her hair, preparing for bed. She looks up when he enters, but doesn't look too surprised.

"Hey, I just wanted a chance to talk to you. Alone." He says, leaning against her door and bracing himself for this conversation.

"Well you got me. What's up?" She asks.

Her question throws him off guard. They've both been drinking, he's leaving tomorrow and now he's in her bedroom at 3 am. She should know what he's here to talk about.

"I just, wanted to say thank you." Mike says awkwardly, "For the toast. It meant a lot."

"Well I meant it." Paige smiles at him kindly, but in a reserved, professional way. "You did good work here. You'll be hard to replace."

"I'll miss you too. I mean I'll miss everyone, but especially you." Mike says, staring at her intently. He hopes she understands what he's trying to say.

"Thanks. You're sweet." She replies. Not a bad response, but not the response Mike was hoping for.

There's an uncomfortable silence as he stands there, not sure what to say next.

"Well I think I'm going to get ready for bed…" She finally says, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Yeah, me too." Mike says, not sure how to recover from her dismissal, "I was just thinking, maybe, since we're not technically roommates anymore, maybe we could get ready for the same bed…"

Mike cringes as he realizes how horribly awkward he sounds, and quickly crosses the room to where she is wanting to remedy it. Her face gives nothing away, and he continues to talk, feeling that every word is just making him sound worst.

"I mean, I know that sounds horrible, but what the hell? We're young, we're drunk, well I am at least. Your liver must be just made of steel..." Mike is babbling. Mike doesn't babble. What the hell is going on? "I'm leaving tomorrow, and what you said by the campfire, Paige… God, I'm screwing this up."

"Mike, you're drunk." She says, more to herself than to him. "How many did you have?"

"Not that drunk." He assures her. He knows she's giving him an out. He doesn't want it. "And you know how many I had, I saw you counting. Look, I know it might seem like I'm just drunk, and lonely, and lost, or whatever it is you think, but it's not that. Paige, I'm leaving tomorrow. This could be our last chance to be together. What do you have to lose?"

This is not at all how he saw this going. Not that he's really sure what he thought he was going to say. He assumed the words would just come to him in the moment. He came in here without a plan, which was entirely unlike him, and this is why. He cannot believe how desperate and needy he sounds, but despite that, he can tell she's actually thinking it over. Trying to recover, Mike puts both hands on her arms and leans in close.

"The whole house thinks we're doing it anyways." He says, as if this somehow explains his side of things.

"Mike, I had no idea you were such a romantic." Paige rolls her eyes, laughing at him sarcastically, "The whole house thinks so? If that's the case… Quick. Help me get my bra off."

"You're not even curious?" He asks.

"After that kiss the other week? Meh." Paige shrugs, "No, not so much."

"That's not fair." Mike says, "The house was falling apart and with Briggs being…. I can do better. I swear."

"Nope. One chance at a first kiss and you blew it." She grins teasingly, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

"Really? Was I that bad?" Mike groans. "Was it my breath? Cause I can go brush my teeth and we can try this again."

"Mike, your breath was fine." Paige assures him, "Look, I'll admit. For a minute there I felt something. I thought it was going to happen too. We just… we just have bad timing I guess."

"It just feels unfinished." Mike says lamely. Why can he never express himself properly to her? She knows him better than most, but somehow they seem to do their best communicating when he doesn't talk.

Paige stands on her tip toes, and kisses Mike chastely on the cheek. "Maybe it's better this way… Just a perfect summer full of possibilities." She whispers in his ear.

"Perfect summer? You call that a perfect summer?" Mike scoffs. He begins listing all the things that had happened in the short time he was here, "I got stabbed. I almost got Johnny killed. I was basically a drug dealer the whole time. I went to prison. I almost destroyed Graceland multiple times…"

"Alright, a pretty good summer then." Paige cuts him off, "We all survived, and I met you."

"Yeah, pretty damn close to perfect." Mike says, staring at her face tenderly.

"Goodnight Mike." Paige says quietly, feeling closure had finally been reached.

"Goodnight Paige." Mike sighs. He begins to let himself out, but stops in her doorway. No. It just can't end like this.

"You know, you were wrong earlier!" Mike accuses her, closing the door and turning back around to face her.

"I'm wrong?! About what?" Paige asks defensively, his words igniting her temper like a spark in the dark. Mike seems to just be digging himself deeper and deeper. He never could just let things go.

"You were wrong. Paige, you said you weren't my answer. You were." Mike walks decisively back over to her, standing in front of her, this time sure he's found the right words. She needs to at least know before he leaves. "The only way I knew Briggs was still here, was when you walked into the room. Because when you were sitting there, and I was trying to put myself in Briggs' shoes, I knew if anything ever happened to you . . . I could never just walk away."

She's so close. Staring up at him with those eyes, those gorgeous green eyes. Mike thinks he's never seen such beautiful eyes on any girl ever. Why couldn't he have said that instead? Why is it when he's around her he becomes completely unable to express anything properly? How could they have lived together for months and she still doesn't know how he feels about her? Everyone else seemed to know. Why couldn't he tell her?

Every cell in Mike's body wants to kiss her. If he leans in just a foot, he could kiss her right now, but the last time he kissed her she pulled away. No, he can't let himself kiss her again unless she kisses him first. Or comes at least ninety-five percent of the way. Fifty percent. Forty-five.

Paige stares up at him for another second, and Mike decides to hell with it. He's leaving tomorrow. He has to kiss her or he'll always regret it. He closes his eyes and is just about to lean in when she interrupts him.

"Dammit Mike…" She swears, pulling away. Mike's whole face falls. He was so close. "…Now I have to sleep with you."

"Wait. WHAT?"

"Now I have to sleep with you." Paige repeats casually, walking across the room towards her bed, kicking her sandals off and stretching as if she's preparing for some game of pickup football.

"You don't have to…" Mike hopes she doesn't feel pressured by him. That's not what he meant at all. Sure, he wants to, but he doesn't want her to do him any favors.

"Nope. I do. Mike, you can't say stuff like that and expect me not to sleep with you." Paige says, taking off her shirt and dropping it to the floor before pointing at him and ordering him, "Pants off. Let's go."

"Wait, are you serious?" Mike looks around.

"You got a problem with that?" She puts her hands on her hips and smirks at him.

"Fine." Mike drops his pants, trying to look more confident than he feels. He still can't tell if she's screwing with him or not. He stands there in his t-shirt and boxer-briefs, not quite sure what to do next. She's still standing about six feet away by the bed, looking at him expectantly.

"Come here." She finally says, after he makes no attempts to join her.

Mike cautiously crosses the room, trying to get a better read on the situation. If Johnny pops out of the closet and he finds out this is a practical joke, he's going to kill her.

"What? Do you want to leave your shirt on?" She taunts him, poking him in the chest. "I can turn off the lights if you're shy."

"Fine, you've made your point." Mike says, crossing his arms, convinced she's messing with him now. "Somehow I'm just not feeling it this moment."

Paige reaches up, putting her hand on his neck and pulls him down so her lips meet his. As they softly brush over his, Mike marvels at how after only one kiss it already feels like second nature. He brings his hands up to her face to tenderly return the kiss, tasting the toothpaste on her tongue. The kiss is unrushed and sweet, as if time seems to have stopped just for them. When she pulls away, her forehead still resting against his, she whispers, "Feeling it now?"

"Definitely." Mike says breathlessly, thankful that somehow they finally got here. "But better try that again just to be safe. Third time's the charm."

And with that, Mike wraps his arms around her waist and crushes her to his chest his mouth finding hers again. Her legs wrap around his waist as he lifts her off the ground. They kiss desperately, with a renewed passion. Months of sexual tension have built up to this night, and they are determined to break each other open and make use of every drop of it before a continent separates them. With Paige finally in his arms, Mike finally feels like he's home, and holds on like there's no tomorrow. Entangled together they fall onto her bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** I've been posting a lot recently, but my health is hopefully improving, (been kind of bedridden recently, so lots of time to type and overanalyze tv shows), so I think I may lighten up the amount of updates, so this might be the last you see from me for a while (though I'd like to keep updating Safe). Also I'm still feeling so let down by whoever directed and chose the cuts in that finale, the actors are all great! Use them director! And whoever edited those camera angles, together, God. Great script though. Would have liked to have seen it done justice. End rant.

* * *

"Wow." Mike gasps for breath.

"Yeah." Paige pants breathlessly beside him.

"I mean… wow."

"Agreed. Totally makes up for earlier."

"Why haven't we been doing that for the past six months?" Mike asks, rolling back over top of her to kiss her again.

"Because we are goddamn professionals!" Paige pumps her fist in the air, before bringing her hand to the back of Mike's head to pull him into another kiss, mumbling against his lips, "And professionals don't sleep with coworkers, especially when those coworkers are their roommates."

"They should! If this were listed in the job perk description, I'd…" Mike was about to say he would have never accepted the job in DC, but catches himself before the words slip out. It doesn't matter though. Paige knows him well enough to know what he was about to say, and her expression shows it.

"Yeah, and this is just your first assignment. Wait until you've moved up in the ranks in DC." She says, trying to make a joke out of him leaving.

"It's not goodbye. I mean we'll see each other again." Mike assures her.

"Mike, you lied to me for so long about why you came here. Don't lie to me about you leaving too. This is goodbye." Paige's voice is serious, but not angry. She's a smart girl, not a hopeless romantic. She accepts what this is. "And that's ok."

"No, I'll visit. I mean, it's going to take me awhile to get settled in DC, but maybe around Thanksgiving I'll be able to take an extra day or two off. I could take a long weekend, do some surfing…" Mike kisses her neck as he talks, already trying to think of strategies to make this feeling last. "...or maybe just lay around in a California hotel room all week?"

"You're going to get back to DC, you're going to put on a suit and you're going to become Michael Warren again. Michael Warren doesn't surf, and he doesn't take vacations. He does his job, and he's amazing at it. There's nothing wrong with that, Mike." Paige says, hoping he hears her. It was a great night, but it can't become anything more, and she's not going to force it.

"Michael Warren sounds pretty dull." Mike sulks at the way Paige sees him. Admittedly that's how he used to see himself, but recently everything's changing.

"Mike, it is was it is. You've got your dream. Celebrate that. Once you get settled in you'll forget all about Graceland. It's ok." She comforts him. "It's how it was always supposed to be."

"I'm going to come back." Mike says firmly, looking her in the eyes intensely. Leaning his forehead against hers, he murmurs, "I promise."

"Alright… don't wait until Thanksgiving then. Maybe Labor Day instead." She humors him, knowing once he gets to DC things will pick up so quickly for him, he'll forget them.

"I swear to God, if you're wearing that pregnant belly when I see you, I will turn around and get back on the plane." Mike laughs, already knowing what she is plotting.

"You would run from our fake child? Mike, I thought you had more character than that."

"Well, you're the girl who would pick me up at the airport with a fake baby bump." Mike retorts. "So can we just agree we're both horrible people?"

"Fine. Do you want me to go get it now? Because I saw the way you were eyeing it. You got a bit of a secret pregnancy fetish, Mikey?" She giggles, poking him in the chest.

"You know what? What the hell, yes. Let's get you pregnant." Mike jokes, positioning himself so he's sitting up in front of her.

"What?" She squeals with laughter, trying to kick him away.

"Alright, let's do it. Lets make a baby." Mike says, grabbing both her ankles and hoisting them into a high V in the air, which she quickly clamps together, laughing.

"Wow, do you know how to get a girl to close her thighs quickly!"

"No, you're right, I have that cushy DC job now. I can support us. You can move to DC, and become a proper politician's wife." Mike teases, ducking as she tries to shove him away. "I'll buy you a pantsuit!"

Paige smacks him with a pillow.

"You can be a stay-at-home mom!" He continues to taunt as they wrestle on the bed laughing. He starts listing every cliche he can never see Paige doing. "Raise the baby and host dinner parties! You can meet up with other wives for brunch and pedicures on Tuesdays and complain about the nanny!"

"It's a good thing you're going back to DC. This would never work." Paige grins, collapsing in a heap beside him and giving him one last smack with a pillow.

"It's working pretty well right now." Mike says, tucking her hair back from her face, still smiling.

"That's just because you're leaving."

"I don't have to go."

"What?" Paige asks, his reply taking her off guard. "Mike, you have to go. This is what you've wanted since you were six."

"I know, it's just… maybe I could put it off for a while. Get some more field experience first. Stay here." Mike knows what he's asking her. He wants her to make this decision for him. He wants her to tell him to stay.

"Wow." Paige says, staring at him with an awed expression on her face.

"What?"

"I just can't believe I literally just fucked your brains out." Paige laughs. "Mike, don't be stupid, of course you're going to go. Nothing's changed. You did good. Go enjoy the rewards. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Mmmm… you're right." Mike sighs. He can't let himself worry about the future right now. Right now, the present has him in her bed, and he should take full advantage of that. He grabs her and drags her to him, positioning himself above her, pinning her down playfully. "Alright, come here, I'm going to enjoy my rewards again."

"Again? Already?" She smirks, looking impressed.

"Ok, maybe give me another ten minutes…" Mike glances down, "and a power bar or something…"

At that very moment, the door to Paige's room cracks open, and a hand reaches through, magically setting a Gatorade bottle on the floor.

"I have a gun, Johnny!" Mike yells, rolling off Paige impatiently, perching himself protectively in front of her.

"Johnny, stop listening in you freak!" Paige squeals.

"Believe me guys, it's not on purpose. You two are loud!" Johnny shouts from the other side of the closed door.

"Well then go downstairs or something. It's my last night here." Mike yells through the wall.

"Fine." Johnny opens the door fully and walks into the room. "But I just want to say if you two do make a baby, I call dibs on Godfather. I know you're going to want Briggs, but I don't even care, DIBS. I called it fair and square."

"Johnny get out!" Paige shrieks and pulls her sheets up to make sure she's completely covered.

"Johnny, I'm about to get up and lock the door. I'm not wearing pants, so unless you want your last memory of me to be of my junk, I advise you leave." Mike warns.

"Bleah. Dude not cool." Johnny averts his eyes as Mike throws his legs over the side of the bed. "Now Paige if you want to come throw me out…"

"Johnny get out!" Paige throws a pillow across the room which hits the door that Johnny closes behind him.

Johnny might have gone, but Paige certainly admires the view as Mike gets up and walks across the room to the door. Locking it, Mike then bangs his fist against it, incase Johnny's on the other side with his ear to the door. Mike grabs the Gatorade and, sipping it casually, he walks over to her stereo, turning the radio on loudly. He walks back to the bed and sits down beside Paige, sighing. He offers her a sip, and she takes a drink of it before handing it back.

"Did that ruin the mood for you?" Mike asks, screwing the lid back on the bottle and setting it on the nightstand.

"Strangely not at all." Paige admits, leaning in to kiss his gatorade flavored lips.

"You are the weirdest girl I have ever met." Mike grins, staring at her with adoring eyes before leaning in to kiss her again. "I love you."

Paige pulls away suddenly. The words hang in the air. Mike doesn't even remember deciding to say them. They just kind of fell out of his mouth. They both stare at each other mouths open and Mike gasps for any explanation.

"Ok, well that ruined the mood. You what?!" Paige demands, scooting away from Mike like he's on fire.

"I… I don't know where that came from." He stutters.

"Well take it back! Take it back now!" She screams.

"I do! I'm sorry, I don't know what I was…" He stutters out an apology, but she just wraps the sheet tightly around herself and begins to pace around the room. "Paige calm down. Come back to bed. It was a mistake."

"You think?!" She yells sarcastically.

"Paige, please. It was a mistake. It didn't mean anything. Can we just forget I said it, and can you come back to bed." Mike tries to reason with her, watching her try to process this new information.

For as unprepared as Mike was to say them, Paige was even less prepared to hear them. Paige has had men say it to her before, but mostly they were trying to sleep with her and said it in a way that clearly didn't mean anything, but with Mike... why did he say that? He couldn't mean it, could he? She knew they liked each other. They had great sex and obviously cared for each other, but that? Paige had dated many, many men, most of whom she didn't even like. She'd certainly never said THAT unless she was undercover. Why would Mike say that? What did he want from her? What did he mean?

"Who says that?" She insists.

"Paige, I-"

"What are you even… I'm mean, what ...I gotta go." Paige is starting to hyperventilate.

"No Paige, please. My flight leaves today, we'll forget it ever happened. Just calm down." Mike leaps out of bed to stop her, his hand coming to her wrist, his eyes pleading with her to stay.

"I just don't know… what would make you even say that?"

Mike is starting to become offended by her reaction. No, he didn't mean to say it, but why is she so surprised he did? They'd just slept together, and he'd basically said the same thing earlier when he was telling her she was his answer. Why was she freaking out now? This shouldn't be news to her, Mike has been in love with her since he got here. She'd been avoiding this thing between them from the beginning. Now that she finally lets her walls down and lets him in she's going to throw them back up again, just like that? No. She doesn't get to do that.

"You know what? No. I'm not taking it back. Deal with it." Mike finally says, frustrated.

"Deal with it?!" She demands.

"Yeah. Deal with it. I love you. Why is that so weird for you to hear? You have to know."

"How on earth would I know something like that?!" She demands.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because we just slept together?"

"It's not the same!"

"Look Paige, I'm sorry I surprised you, but I don't think I'm out of line here. I love you, and I think you love me too." Mike says, trying to reason with her.

"No I don't!" Paige defends herself quickly.

"You don't?" Mike asks, surprised.

"No!" She declares like it's the most ridiculous idea in the world. Mike blinks at her in shock, her words clicking into place in his head.

She doesn't love him.

He can't believe it. His feelings were so strong towards her, he just assumed she felt the same way. Apparently Paige was better at compartmentalizing than he was. Maybe that's all this was to her. Goodbye sex, nothing more.

"Ok, then." Mike says woodenly. "Guess it's good I'm going to DC."

He starts collecting his clothes quickly. He has to get out of here. He has to get out of Graceland. This house has made him doubt his every instinct, his every thought. He was so sure of himself before he came here, and now it's clear he doesn't know what's true anymore. She doesn't love him.

"Wait! Mike I didn't mean it like that." Paige realizes how harsh what she just said sounds, and tries to stop him.

"No, you're right. It's fine. Well, you know me, better be early for that plane." Mike says, unable to look at her, searching for his shoes. Unable to find his right flip flop he gives up. He won't need them in DC anyways.

"Mike…"

"I think Briggs said he was going to give me a ride to the airport, so don't worry about it. Go back to sleep. I, um, it was fun hanging with you these last couple months." Mike talks over her, shutting himself down emotionally. He has to shut that down and focus on the task at hand, get his clothes, and get out. He can't break down in front of her.

"Mike, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… You just..." Paige doesn't want him to leave. Not like this. Why did he have to tell her that now? She needs time to process this, to find out what it means, but she knows by the time she figures it out, he could be on the other side of the country.

"Paige, don't worry about it. I get it. You told me from the beginning, no love in Graceland. You're fine. I just gotta go. I've got a flight to catch." Once Mike has his clothes back on, minus his shoes, he walks to the doorway. Pausing, unsure of what to say, he mumbles, "Take care of Johnny, ok? I worry about him. You too. Bye."

And just like that, he's gone.


End file.
